Soon
after, when Charles XII came to Italy and the Medici were expelled, as
Savonarola had clearly foretold, he alone was believed in.
It must be frankly confessed that he never judged his own premonitions
and visions critically, as he did those of others. In the funeral
oration on Pico della Mirandola, he deals somewhat harshly with his
dead friend. Since Pico, notwithstanding an inner voice which came from
God, would not enter the Order, he had himself prayed to God to chasten
him for his disobedience. He certainly had not desired his death, and
alms and prayers had obtained the favour that Pico's soul was safe in
Purgatory. With regard to a comforting vision which Pico had upon his
sickbed, in which the Virgin appeared and promised him that he should
not die, Savonarola confessed that he had long regarded it as a deceit
of the I)evil, till it was revealed to him that the Madonna meant the
second and eternal death. If these things and the like are proofs of
presumption, it must be admitted that this great soul at all events
paid a bitter penalty for his fault. In his last days Savonarola seems
to have recognized the vanity of his visions and prophecies. And yet
enough inward peace was left to him to enable him to meet death like a
Christian. His partisans held to his doctrine and predictions for
thirty years longer.
Pages:
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542